Stereotypes can be terrifying.
People assume that because a snake slithers across the ground, an earthen serpent modeled after it must also mimic a snake's form down to its minute details.
But there's no rule that an earthen serpent created through power must be identical to a real snake. After all, snakes aren’t naturally made of soil. Keep that fact in mind.

In reality, the earthen serpent crafted by the regressor moved partially submerged in the ground. Above ground were the regressor and Tirkanjaka, while below, I hid with Peru.
Magic is all about exploiting gaps in perception. Once you understand the truth, it’s just sleight of hand. But to the ignorant, it feels more miraculous than magic itself. I used that technique to sneak into the Golden Palace.

Digging a tunnel is tricky, both when entering and exiting. Luckily, I had a solution for that.
Pressing the Ten of Spades against my forehead, I gently whispered:

“Geomancy.”

The ground above me parted like a lid, effortlessly opening. Raising the soil above my head, I climbed swiftly to the surface.

The landscape of the Golden Palace had drastically transformed. Previously, it had been a quaint village hall nestled in the middle of a vast cornfield—a picturesque rural scene. Now, it resembled a battle encampment, complete with tents, fences, and a sense of impending conflict.

Instead of farmers wielding sickles, armed guards patrolled the grounds. Despite it being broad daylight, bonfires blazed, and soldiers stood guard in pairs along the fences. Massive tents bustled with soldiers pouring out, clearly exceeding the capacity of the space. Well-maintained weapons shimmered coldly in the sunlight.

Armor. Spears. Shields. Soldiers.
It was a textbook depiction of an army, perhaps modeled after the Golden Mirror’s vision of warfare.

In a positive sense, it was methodical. In a negative sense, it was rigidly conventional. No matter how infinite the resources, a lack of adaptability leaves room for exploitation.

Still, things could take a different turn in a war against the Heat Nations. After all, humans are creatures that learn.
Although homunculi might not have that capability.

“Anyway, we’ll have to break through there somehow.”

But could we?
Even with mind-reading, it seemed like an impossible task. To make matters worse, I couldn’t read the thoughts of the soldiers either. Compared to Tir, these were mere underlings, but my strength—excluding mind-reading—was on par with theirs. Breaking through their armor was entirely out of my league.

Even with the regressor and Tir drawing attention, this was the best I could manage? Tch. What now?

“…It’s impossible.”
“Oh? Peru? You followed me?”

Turning around, I saw Peru crawling out of the hole I had created. I hadn’t expected her to follow. She’d have been safer staying put as my unique magic launchpad.

“Are you here to help?”
“…I came to interfere.”
“Well, since you’re here, would you mind using your unique magic to lend a hand?”
“…No need. If I just scream, they’ll figure out you’re here.”

Thinking about it, she wasn’t wrong. Oh, really? That’s true, isn’t it?

I’d assumed the regressor and Tir would draw all the attention, leaving this area completely deserted. I thought I could plant my flag in an empty field and claim an effortless victory.
Who would have guessed they’d still have forces to spare?
Or is it just that I’m too weak to breach an empty shell?

“Sorry, but that’s not much of a threat. It’s nearly impossible to sneak in unnoticed anyway.”
“…If you plan to retreat, I’ll keep quiet.”
“Later. After I’ve tried my last resort.”

Attacking an impregnable fortress head-on is foolish. This calls for a Trojan horse. Decision made, I stood up abruptly. Pushing aside the bushes, I revealed myself, and the soldiers’ spears immediately turned toward me.

Their reaction was impressively quick. I raised both hands in surrender, signaling I meant no harm.

“Hold on a moment! I’m a messenger with demands from your side—”
“Enemy. Kill.”
“Wait! Killing someone with their hands up is against the rules! I surrendered!”

Trojan horse, my foot. They immediately brandished their swords. As I retreated hastily, the soldiers advanced, repeating the same phrase while closing in.

“Enemy. Kill.”
“Enemy. Kill.”
“Enemy. Kill.”

Their eyes lacked any trace of humanity, and their voices were monotonous and devoid of intonation. Were these soldiers modeled after overseers, or were they merely human-shaped homunculi?

Tch. It seemed like the regressor and Tir had indeed diverted most of the forces. No overseers were present here, at least. The problem was, I couldn’t even handle these ordinary homunculi!

The spear tips edged closer. There was no escape. Tents had sprouted behind me, with more soldiers crawling out from them. What kind of tents are these? Are they factories for churning out humans? People go into tents; they’re not supposed to come out of them.

Surrounded and unable to read minds, I was cornered. Even if I managed to take down a few, the endless reinforcements would crush me.

But this moment was exactly why I had prepared the ultimate Trojan horse.
I raised my voice and called out my final card.

“Elik! Come out! I have something official to discuss with you!”

My shout was drowned out by the clashing of the soldiers’ armor. My only escape route was the hole leading back underground.

‘…If only he would appear. If I give up now, there’s nothing left to save….’

As I stood there, the sole audience member pitying my plight, it happened.

“—Stop.”

A single, soft command. The soldiers halted. Their response was entirely different from when I had shouted.

They froze, as if turned to statues. Amidst them, Elik emerged, parting the soldiers as he walked.

His radiant golden hair, like molten gold, was tied in a neat ponytail. He wore snug-fitting clothes that clung to his frame, paired with leather gloves and boots. His sharp eyes dissected me with a cold, calculating gaze.

“Enough is enough. Do you have no concept of decency?”

‘…Huh? The Golden Overseer?’

Even Peru seemed to think so, and the homunculi were no different. To them, he might as well have been the real thing. Particularly to homunculi devoid of reason, the deception was flawless.

Smiling as if I had been waiting for this, I responded,
“There’s no room for decency in war. What matters is what we do moving forward.”
“…Hmph. All talk. Everyone, stand down.”

With a rough wave of his hand, “Elik” ordered the soldiers to clear the way. In perfect unison, they moved aside, creating a path wide enough for two people to walk through. “Elik” strode forward confidently, and I followed close behind.

Meanwhile, Peru looked on in utter disbelief at the absurdity of the situation.

‘…This makes no sense. They’re letting an intruder through so easily? The Golden Overseer?’

It wasn’t impossible, though. Who could truly understand the intentions of the Golden Palace? Even I, with my mind-reading ability, couldn’t. Perhaps the Golden Overseer had his reasons for escorting me.

But no matter how you looked at it, it was illogical. Preparing for war, amassing weapons, dispatching armed homunculi, and yet escorting a potential enemy to the very heart of their operations?

‘…Don’t tell me…?’

Peru finally seemed to realize what was happening, but it was too late. Passing through the formation of soldiers, we arrived at the heart of the camp.

“…Your Majesty?”

We stood before the Golden Mirror himself.

The Golden Mirror was in the middle of entering a massive tent, holding a large sheet of paper—perhaps a map or blueprint. He glanced between us and the tent with a startled expression.

“Weren’t you just inside the tent? And more importantly… who is this?”

From his waist hung a golden bell, jangling urgently as if to echo his unsettled emotions. “Elik” briefly glanced toward it.

‘The golden bell my father mentioned. So, that’s the Golden Mirror? The one who is said to admire Elik, the King of the Gold Nation?’

As I read ‘Elik’s’ thoughts, I gave a subtle nod to confirm. ‘Elik’ continued to quickly observe the Golden Mirror and his surroundings, thinking deeply.

‘Hmm~. Doesn’t he seem a bit too bright and fresh for the Golden Mirror? This doesn’t seem like his true form. Even I feel a bit creeped out, somehow~.’

Oh, come on. You shapeshift into all sorts of things too. Is this self-loathing?
The ‘Elik’ who brought me here, of course, is Hilde. I had described Elik’s appearance to Hilde and asked her to transform into his likeness. Even though Hilde had never met the Golden Mirror directly, she successfully transformed into Elik based solely on my description.

Hilde grumbled about how difficult it was to stay in character without properly understanding Elik’s personality, but it didn’t matter. All we needed to do was weaken the Golden Mirror’s wariness for a brief moment.

Now, Hilde, matching the unfolding situation, crafted her lines carefully, syncing them with the Golden Mirror’s behavior.

“Demo, pay your respects. This is someone you must know.”
“Me, my lord?”
“Yes, that...”

Hilde, trying to immerse herself in the role of ‘Elik,’ gestured toward me, searching for the right words.

‘Father told me to act like a master who cherishes his disciple, but~. It’s impossible to mimic someone perfectly without firsthand observation. Even improvisation has its limits~.’

You don’t need to do it perfectly! Just throw him off a little until I can steal that golden bell!
Come on. Say something! Just give me a chance to get closer to him!

Having seemingly made up her mind, Hilde leaned her body against my shoulder. She clasped her hands over my arm, pressing it into her chest, and tilted her head toward me with a soft, affectionate expression. Wait, hold on.

Before I could stop her, Hilde voiced her outrageous thought.

“This is the one who will become my consort.”
“Wha—?! That’s absurd!”

I told you to reduce his wariness, not to provoke him further! Now he’s glaring at me like he wants to kill me! And saying something so bizarre is bound to make him suspicious of your true identity!

A clatter of metal echoed as golden-armored soldiers emerged from behind the Golden Mirror. Their sudden arrival at this moment was no coincidence—they seemed to symbolize the Golden Mirror’s anger. They’d likely cut me down at the slightest provocation.

The Golden Mirror’s burning gaze pierced me, his anger almost palpable. Bowing low, he shouted furiously.

“My lord, please reconsider! A mere outsider of unknown origins as your consort? This is unthinkable!”
“Do you truly think it unthinkable?”

‘Elik’ curled her lips into a sly smile. Pressing her body softly against mine, she leaned her face toward me as if to flaunt me, brushing her cheek against mine. The Golden Mirror gritted his teeth so hard I could almost hear it.

With an expression that seemed less like Elik and more like a devil, Hilde whispered sweetly:

“You must have anticipated this day would come.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The only one worthy of someone as noble as I, the ruler of this land, is a man equally noble. But tell me, what man in this world could possibly match me?”

Ah, so that’s her angle. Now I understand Hilde’s train of thought.

‘An obsessive person’s greatest fear is losing what they cherish. Bitter nightmares linger in memory far longer than sweet dreams! Let’s reenact the worst-case scenario the Golden Mirror could imagine!’

A different kind of perfectionism, indeed. Instead of poorly imitating reality, she aims for flawless execution, even if it means playing directly into his fears.
Tch. I didn’t anticipate this. Artistic expression is truly unpredictable. Fine, I’ll play along.

Acting like a shameless rogue, I slid my hand conspicuously around ‘Elik’s’ waist and performed my part, mimicking Hilde.

“Your Majesty, must you be so bold in front of your disciple? Such mischief.”
“Ah... only for you.”

‘Elik’ let out a soft sigh, her expression unmistakably that of a maiden in love.

Don’t overdo it! You’re playing the part of a romantic fool! I’m the one who’s going to die here if the real Golden Mirror snaps!

Still, the performance worked. Although the Golden Mirror now seemed to loathe me with every fiber of his being, he didn’t seem to doubt Hilde’s disguise. Good. If I can get just a bit closer...

“My lord, she is an imposter!”

Unfortunately, the ruse didn’t fool Peru. Having already experienced Hilde’s shapeshifting abilities, she immediately denounced the act.

“What did you say...?”
“Do not be deceived! She has transformed into the likeness of the Golden Overseer! The real Golden Overseer would never speak or act in such a manner!”

Peru pleaded earnestly with the Golden Mirror. For the first time, doubt flickered in his eyes as he scrutinized Hilde. From there, the differences became apparent.

After all, the Golden Mirror had ‘refined’ Elik into perfection through his alchemy. He knew every detail.

The illusion shattered—or rather, the truth became layered with yet another mask.

His Elik wouldn’t say such things.
His Elik wouldn’t act that way.
His Elik wouldn’t delight in the arms of another man. Thus, this had to be a fraud.

With a resonant chime, something seemed to break. Simultaneously, the side of the tent burst open, and the real Elik—if one could even call it that—emerged, rushing forward.

“Demo! That is not me! It’s an imposter disguised as me!”

Yet, the Golden Mirror’s eyes did not leave ‘Elik.’

Perhaps the Golden Mirror had always known, deep down, that the world around him was a fabrication. A false reality where things did not align with his will. And now, the sight of this unfamiliar ‘Elik’ was enough to shake him momentarily out of his illusion.

For the first time, even if just for a moment, I caught a glimpse of his thoughts.

“You! I knew it—!”

But as he rose, preparing to lash out, something held him back—a faint, delicate force.

The Nine of Spades, the Tree of Origin, born from the divine inspiration of Navida. A druidic power embodied in a card. The vines sprouting from the card entwined the Golden Mirror, holding him in place for a fleeting moment.

It wasn’t long before the vines snapped, but that moment was all we needed.

In the interim, Hilde used her strength to shove the soldiers aside, clearing a path.

A deception bought us one step.
Geomancy bought us another.
The performance with Hilde bought a third.
And the druid’s vines secured a fourth.

Individually, each step was minor, but together they brought me face-to-face with the Golden Mirror.

And in my hand was the chiming Golden Bell, resonating in harmony with me.